1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrical installation system for homes or small offices for time-saving through-connections for electrical combinations of device boxes such as switch boxes, branch circuit boxes, etc. The invention is also intended to significantly simplify the connection process, i.e. the components can essentially simply be plugged in so that there is no longer any requirement for manual wiring.
2. Background Information
Previously, the wiring of a through-connection inside a box combination has been extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive. Conventional junction or device boxes such as junction boxes used as switch boxes, branch circuit boxes, etc. are designed to hold an apparatus such as a switch, dimmer, outlet, etc. wherein these devices are connected to the various power lines coming into the junction box. If more than one device is required at a given site, the corresponding number of device boxes can generally be combined to yield a junction box combination. In such junction box combinations, the device boxes holding these pieces of equipment or devices are generally equipped, by the manufacturer, with coupling elements. The coupling elements allow a mechanical combination of a number of junction boxes to be made relatively quickly on the construction site by connecting the individual device boxes to form a junction box combination. However, the wiring of the through-connection from one device or junction box to another device or junction box within a junction box combination is generally very time-consuming and labor intensive. More specifically, for the through-connection from one device box to another, at least three conductors of different lengths and different color coding, according to their electrical function, are employed on the construction site. For proper installation, the appropriate length of each conducting wire, which may vary from case to case, must be determined, and the insulation must be stripped from the ends of the wires. After preparing the lines and threading them from box to box, the wire ends which go together are connected or bonded by means of connecting clamps or wire nuts wherein the bonding can usually be done only outside of the device box. Additionally, the line ends used for connecting the electrical device must be identified, stripped of insulation on both sides, and connected using clamps. Then the entire line, with the clamps connected, must be placed back into the device box with particular care, so that the lines, conductors, cables and clamps do not interfere with the electrical device to be incorporated into the junction box. Considering a combination wherein there are five device boxes in a column, for example, it becomes clear how much time and labor are required, using the conventional installation method, to make an electrical through-connection on the construction site.
One example of an electrical device apparatus for household installation comprising a general-purpose box with connection elements and several function elements is disclosed in German Laid Open Patent Application 37 29 132. The general-purpose box disclosed therein requires no particular technical modifications when used to perform a particular function. The box further comprises a connection element which is assigned various functions, and which may be activated by means of these functions. The electrical contacts between the lines and the function element are activated by means of plug-and-socket connections containing contact points.
An additional example of an electrical device box system is disclosed in German Laid Open Patent Application 23 38 877. In this patent, conductors disposed in a raceway are fixed in their position relative to one another, wherein contact plates make the transitions to other raceways by means of joint plates. The special feature is that these contact plates are designed so that they can hold electrical devices, such as switches, receptacles and outlet boxes with terminals.
As another example, German Laid Open Patent Application 33 36 817 discloses a plug-in system for electrical devices, which can be used for electrical devices on a 220 V AC network. This system is said to significantly reduce the installation work and to prevent incorrect wiring of individual circuits. This is achieved in that the connections are made between pre-wired distributor modules and plug-in modules, which have rows of receptacles on three sides, and on another side have a row of plugs which can be connected to a row of receptacles on an incoming cable module.
An example of a low voltage electrical distribution system is disclosed in German/European Patent No. 0 232 140. This distribution system is equipped with a multi-terminal busbar and various bridging plugs between the individual electrodes.